


Falling for Brienne (Literally)

by Julieoftarth (Wherethereissmoak)



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:00:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21733366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wherethereissmoak/pseuds/Julieoftarth
Summary: Jaime stays inside for most of the hockey team's ski retreat, until he learns that Brienne is going to the highest hill alone with someone else. Sure, he doesn't have ski experience, but he will do anything to impress her.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 20
Kudos: 138
Collections: JB Online 2019 Advent Calendar Collection





	Falling for Brienne (Literally)

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my submission for Day 9 of the JBO Advent Calendar, for the prompt "Come out and play in the snow!" I apologize for how stupid I made Jaime in this. LOL

Jaime turned off the television in frustration and looked at the clock. Brienne should have been back by now. Maybe she was injured, or trapped somewhere. Should he go and rescue her?

No, she was probably just out having fun. Jaime regretted now that he had rejected her pleas that he come out and play in the snow this morning. Their hockey team was here in this ski lodge for a winter retreat, and Jaime had only tagged along so he could spend more time with Brienne.

He had even bribed the chaperone to ensure that the two of them were bunked in the same room.

“But you hate the snow,” Tyrion told him on their weekly phone call. “I mean, it’s bad enough that you moved to Winterfell – but a ski retreat is a bit much.”

It was true, he hated the north. But he had lived here for two years now and didn’t regret it at all.

When Jaime graduated from high school, he surprised everyone by walking away from centuries of family tradition and did not go to KLU. He was recruited to play on the Winterfell University hockey team and accepted their offer.

Of course, it had nothing to do with the fact that Brienne Tarth, his frequent opponent in high school hockey, was going there. And now they would be playing on the same team.

Jaime grinned when he thought about the scowl on her face the first day he showed up in the locker room. It took the exceptional athlete a long time to warm up to him, but now he was her favorite person to be annoyed with.

They worked so well together on the ice, that the coach never put one of them in without the other. And they worked well off the ice, too. Brienne soon learned that Jaime was falling behind academically, so she helped him to ensure he would be able to remain on the team.

Before long, they were spending every moment together. They were best friends, but Jaime wished they could be more. He had been smitten with her since high school when she slammed him into the wall and removed her helmet to yell at him – her astonishing blue eyes blazing at him.

“Stop mocking me,” Brienne would say at his every attempt to flirt. So he bided his time, making himself an integral part of her life so that maybe someday she would feel the same way about him.

This is why he came on this ski retreat even though he hated the snow and had no idea how to ski.

“You can come out and play a little. I will work with you on the small hills this morning to make sure you have the hang of it,” Brienne suggested.

But Jaime didn’t want to hold her back, so he insisted on staying here warm in the cabin while the rest of the group went out to ski. He missed her though.

Jaime looked up when some of their teammates came in, laughing and shivering from the cold. No Brienne, though. His heart sank.

“Lannister! We missed you out there today. It was fun!” Podrick was a freshman, but showed enough promise to earn a scholarship. He worshipped Brienne and followed her around like a puppy. Jaime was surprised to see him but his idol.

“Where’s Brienne?”

Podrick shook his head, worry in his eyes. “She and Tormund were going toward the suicide hill. He dared her.”

Jaime closed his eyes. Brienne would never back down from a dare. Never. And Tormund had been hitting on her since he transferred here last year. The thought of the two of them on the ski lift alone made Jaime grit his teeth. What if his flirting paid off and Brienne gave the giant redhead a chance?

And what if something happened to her on that hill? If she was hurt, Jaime had to be there for her.

“Podrick, I need to borrow your skis.”

Podrick blinked at him with wide eyes. “But Jaime, I thought you didn’t know how to ski.”

He was a fast learner. Surely it couldn’t be that hard, if Tormund could figure it out. “I will be fine. Please point me in the right direction.”

A reluctant Pod did as Jaime asked, and soon he was on the ski lift on his way to Brienne. He got more and more nervous the higher he climbed. But even more determined. He would do this for the woman he loved. Yes, he loved her. And if he had to ski the highest hill to show her how much he cared, he would do it.

“Jaime, do you think you’re doing?”

He looked down to see Brienne below him, yelling and waving. She was not going down the most dangerous hill. She was walking back, toward the lodge.

He had made a terrible mistake.

“I’m going skiing!” He hoped his bravado would cover up his panic at the moment, but he couldn’t see Brienne’s reaction to tell. He did see her start running toward the ski lift before he was too high to see her anymore.

Higher and higher he climbed. Oh gods, he was almost at the top. He would have to jump. Jaime tried to remember all the basic ski techniques Brienne had shown him in his dorm room before they left. He thinks he could recall how to stand upright.

Now or never, he thought as he leaped off the ski lift. Jaime was proud of himself for remaining upright, but was soon terrified at how fast he was going down this hill. And he couldn’t remember how to stop, slow down and turn.

This was a very bad idea, he thought. This was confirmed when he started rolling down the hill instead of skiing, tumbling and bumping his way down until he came to a crashing stop on a snowbank.

“Jaime!” Maybe he was dead and in heaven, he thought, because he was hearing Brienne’s voice. “Jaime, you idiot, what in seven hells do you think you were doing?”

Yep, heaven. Brienne was here next to him, running her hands over his face and being all annoyed with him. Her blue eyes were widened with panic.

“Jaime, talk to me. You haven’t gone this long without uttering a word since I’ve known you. What hurts? Can you hear me?”

Her words finally registered, and Jaime realized that he was not dead. In fact, he was very much still in his body, which was in a lot of pain at the moment.

“Brienne…”

She let out a sigh, and her shoulders sagged in relief. “Okay, you’re still with me. I called the ski patrol, and they will help get you down and to the hospital.”

He gave her a confused look. How had she known to call the ski patrol?

“I called them before I got on the ski lift to come after you. There was no way you were going to make it down this hill uninjured. What were you thinking?”

“You. Was thinking about you.”

Brienne gave him a confused look, but held onto his hand. His head was getting fuzzy, but he kept his eyes open when she urged him to not go to sleep.

“Your eyes are so pretty,” he said in a slurry voice. He didn’t hear Bienne’s response, because he was drifting off.

“DON’T YOU DARE CLOSE YOUR EYES, YOU IDIOT. KEEP THEM ON ME!”

Brienne was yelling at him again, and he listened to her, like he always did when she was annoyed with him. She was scowling. Gods he loved her scowl.

He kept his eyes fixed on her blue ones, even as the rescue team arrived, and she didn’t let go of his hand the entire time they were loading him on a stretcher and carrying him off the mountain. Jaime only let her go when they had to wheel him back for a CT scan at the hospital.

“You got off lucky. I can’t believe you only have bruises and sprains,” Brienne told him angrily. “And a concussion.”

Jaime winced at her loud voice, the effects of the head injury making noises and bright lights hurt. “I only stayed upright for as long as I did because of your lessons. You saved my life, Brienne.”

She scowled at him more, but her eyes were soft as she brushed the hair off his forehead to reveal the big bump there.

“Well, I’m glad you remembered something. What on earth were you thinking, going on that extreme hill – and all alone?”

Jaime fidgeted in his hospital bed. He had been brave enough before to risk his life for Brienne, could he tap into that same adrenaline rush now to confess his feelings?

“Podrick told me you were there. With Tormund.”

Brienne furrowed her brow at this. “Yes, but I’d been skiing with other teammates all day and you didn’t try to join in then.”

Jaime sighed. “I know how he looks at you, and I was worried about the two of you alone…”

Brienne stared at him in silence for a moment. “You sound quite jealous.”

He grinned. “I do, don’t I?”

And Jaime didn’t have time to think about confessing his feelings to Brienne, because she leaned forward and kissed him.

Before he could return the kiss, she pulled away, blushing.

“Brienne.”

Her eyes stayed in her lap.

“Brienne, look at me, please.”

She finally raised her eyes to his, and they were filled with tears. Did she not think he wanted the kiss?

“Will you go on a date with me? After I’m out of the hospital, of course.”

Brienne grinned at him and nodded. “I will, on one condition. That you never do anything this stupid again.”

He didn’t think he could keep that promise, because he seemed to neglect concern for his life and limb when it came to Brienne.

“I’ll try, but that’s all I can promise.”

Brienne rolled her eyes again and leaned forward to kiss him again.

“Why don’t you lay next to me in the bed here? It will help me heal.”

Brienne laughed and shook her head at him. “Nope, none of that until you’re healed. And no more kisses either.”

Jaime made a miraculous recovery a few days later.


End file.
